Game



y 1941. A. DEL LLANO Y FERNANDEZ i GAME Filed June 1, 1940 gmwm Patented May 27, 1941 UNTED GAME Angel del Llano y Fernandez; Habana, Cuba, as-

signor to Zorrilla, Llano y Ca, Mariana0, Cuba, a partnership composed of Juan Zorrilla. y Tarrero, Angel del Llano y Fernandez, and Salustianc Brey y Noya Application June 1, 1940, Serial No. 338,387

3 Ciaims. C1.27329) The invention aims to make novel provisic h for playing a game in which an elastic ball is batted either with the hand or with a racket and in which the ball is connected with an anchor by an elastic cord so that it Will rebound each time it is driven through the air, the idea being to place the ball in a predetermined zone on the ground or on a floor for the players scoringbenefit and to add to the score of the opponent whenever the ball is not properly placed.

In carrying out the above end, a further object is to provide an anehoring base for the elastic cord which is sufiiciently heavy to prevent it from being slid upon the gound or floor by the pull of said elastic cord and the momentum of the t ball.

A still further object is to provide a base so constructed that it may be extended into stable form for use and may be readily folded into compact form when not in use.

Yet another aim is the provision of a game which will be simple and nexpensive, yet will affrd a great deal of exercise and entertainment.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter herenafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing manner of playing the game.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the base, the elastic cord connected with said base and the elastic ball connected with said cord, the base being in extended form for use.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view on line 33 of Fg. 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the base in folded condition.

Figure 5 is a disassembled perspective view showing the two crossed bars from which the base is constructed.

While a preferred construction has been illustrated and will be rather specifically described, it is to be understood at the outset that I do not wish to be restricted as to sizes, materials, weights, degree of elasticity, playing rules, etc., for various minor changes may be made along these lines.

A base 6 is provided to rest upon the ground or upon a floor, and one end of an elastic element which, without limiting, I will term an elastic cord l, is attached to said base. Attached to the other end of this elastic cord 1 is an elastic ball 8 to be batted either with the hand or With a racket, rackets or paddles 9 being shown in two the players hands in Fig. 1. While I have above stated that I do not wish to be restricted to weights, I mean to the weight of the base itself or to the weight of the ball itself, but this base and ball must be of such relative weights that the momentum of the ball and the pull of the elastic cord l upon the base 6, cannot slide the latter upon the floor or ground. The base preferably weighs 544 grams and is preferably about eight by eight inches and one and one-half inches thick. The ball preferably weighs about 42 grams and while it is preferable that this ball be of sponge rubber, a hollow ball such as those com monly used for tennis, can well be used.

In playing the game, two zones lll and H are preferably marked 01T on the ground or floor, and the base 6 is placed at the outer end of the zone l l which is relatively small. The first player then takes the ball 8 in one hand, tosses it into the air and strikes it with the racket or the like 9, or with his hand, attempting to make the ball land in the zone El before its is retrieved by the elastic cord l. If he accomplishes this, a point is added to his score but if the ball should land in the zone ll, his opponent will score. More0ver, when the ball is retrieved, the player must again strike it either before it hits the ground or upon the first bounce. Otherwise, it will be to his opponents advantage. Singles or doubles may be played in much the same manner as ordinary tennis.

In the present disclosure, the base 6 comprises v a horizontal bar I2, a, lower horizontal bar l3, and a vertical bolt [4 pivotally connecting the intermediate portions of said bars and permitting them to swing with respect to each other. The bolt l4 passes upwardly through the bars 2 and l3 and is provided on its upper end With a nut l5 having a loop or eye Hi, which is instrumental in connecting the elastic cord 1 with the base. It is preferable, to prevent snarling of the cord 1, that an ordinary fishing line swivel or the like l be connected at one end with the loop or eye 16 and at its other end with said cord 'l. In connecting this cord with the ball 8, a length of twine or the like l3 is preferably passed first into and then out of one side of said ball with the aid of a suitable needle, the twine being tied to provide a loop 9 to which the elastic cord i is connected. This connection and the connection with the swivel ll may readily be renewed whenever wear causes breakage of the elastic.

The upper side of the bar 13 is formed with a notch 2 which receives the intermediate portion of the bar l2, and the lower side of this bar 12 is formed with a notch 20 which receives the intermediate portion of said bar l3, the two bars being thus halved together, so that both will rest solidly upon the floor or the ground. The end walls 21 of both notches 20 and 20' are oblique and so spaced that the two bars l2 and i3 may be inwardly swung as seen in Fig. 4 until their end portions are in edge-to-edge contact With each other. The entire folded base then has a slender hour-glass form and may be used as a reel or the like about which to wind the elastic cord l, making the game very compact when not in use. When the base is extended for use as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, abrupt inner termnals 22 on the notch end walls of each bar abut the edges of the other bar when the two bars have been swung into right angular relation with each other, and obviously the bolt and nut connection between said bars will afford sufiicient friction to hold them in extended position for use, yet will permit easy folding of the base by hand when its use is no longer required.

I have herein disclosed a preferred form of construction and have briefly set forth rules which may be followed in playing the game. However, I do not wish to be restricted otherwise than as required by the subjoined clairns.

I claim:

1. In a game, a base comprising upper and lower crossed bars, said lower bar having a notch in its intermediate portion receiving the intermediate portion of said upper bar, said intermediate portion of said upper bar also having a notch receiving said intermediate portion of said lower bar, and a vertical pvot connecting said bars for horizontal swinging with respect to each other, said notches having oblique walls which permit said bars to swing into inward positions until their end portions are in edge-to-edge con tact, said ob1que end walls of each bar having terminals which abut the edges of the other bar when the two bars are swung into right angular relation with each other, said pvot having an upper portion for connecting an elastic ballcarrying cord thereto.

2. In a game, a base comprising upper and lower crossed bars, said lower bar having a notch in its intermediate portion receiving the intermediate portion of said upper bar, said inter mediate portion of said upper bar also having a notch receiving said intermediate portion of said lower bar, and a vertical pvot connecting said bars for horizontal swinging with respect to each other, said notches having oblique walls which permit said bars to swing into inward positions until their end portions are in edge-toedge contact.

3. In a game device having an elastic line and an elastic ball connected with said .line, an anchoring base for said line comprising two crossed horizontal bars, a vertical pvot connecting said bars at their crossing point, said bars being swingable about said pvot to cause the ends of one bar to approach the ends of the other bar when desired, and means for limiting this approach movement of the bar ends to positions in which the two bars impart a slender hour-glass form to the base, whereby said base in said slender hour-glass form may be used as a reel around Which to compactly wind said line when the device is not in use.

ANGEL DEL LLANO Y FERNANDEZ, 

